“Why are you getting rid of your clothes if you did nothing wrong? Why, if you are so fearful of McCray, are you smoking marijuana with him? When you take his reactions together with the video (of the incident), you know that his fear was simply being caught by police.”

Clark’s check was worth about $700, officials said. Clark was found with $20 in his possession, and McCray had $230.

“Where’s the rest? I submit to you that (Watkins) has it,” Megyesi said.

Jurors also have the option of convicting Watkins on a lesser charge of second-degree murder.

“This is not a case of second-degree murder because a larceny or a robbery occurred,” Megyesi said.

“This is not a case about sympathy — sympathy for the defendant or sympathy for the victim. The pieces of the puzzle are there. Actions speak louder than words. This defendant is guilty on all counts.”

Watkins’ attorney, Elias Escobedo, said Megyesi’s version of events is “Monday morning quarterbacking.”

“James sits here before you fighting for his life,” Escobedo said to begin his closing argument.

“That’s what the prosecution wants you to believe, that somehow the prosecution’s interpretation of what happened on this day is what constitutes the truth. There are a number of factors in this case that are going to prove to the contrary.”

Escobedo said there was no evidence of a plan to commit a robbery.

“(Watkins) did not aid and abet during the crime,” Escobedo said. “We know he did not box in Mr. Clark. We know he did not assault Mr. Clark.”

Megyesi said Watkins and McCray boxed Clark in so he could not escape the robbery.

“Even if James knew that an armed robbery was planned or was being committed, the mere fact that he was present when it was committed is not enough to prove that he assisted in committing it,” Escobedo said.

He discussed a surveillance video from People’s Market that the prosecution said shows Clark, McCray and Watkins.

“There’s nothing in the video that indicates there was anything to be suspicious about,” Escobedo said.